Worn

Lyrics from "Worn" by 10th Avenue North Let me see redemption win Let me know the struggle ends That you can mend a heart That’s frail and torn I wanna know the sun can rise From the ashes of a broken life And all that’s dead inside can be reborn Cause all that’s dead inside will be reborn Though I’m worn Yeah I’m worn Yesterday I ran into a colleague and good friend at the library. She asked me how I was doing, given the "shorter" break between semesters this year. We have only two weeks "off" from meetings and professional development and three weeks between classes. She herself had just finished grading the day before, as she governs a course designed for high school students. Their calendar differs from the college calendar. She also told me that she travels twice a week to help her daughter, a cancer survivor who is oxygen dependent. She felt tired, as if she were always running behind. On the same day I caught Chip Ingram's series, "Spiritual Simplicity." He is currently working in a Silicon Valley megachurch. He speaks to people whose lives are extremely complex and fast paced. I know all too well the feeling of persistent, deep fatigue. It seems that every Christmas I find myself sick, worn out by work, holiday preparations, and some virus. This year it took four full days of sleep to be able to stand for any length of time and then two weeks to clear up the cough and mucus. But between Fall 2012 and Winter 2013 I've had time to build my courses and rest. It's wonderful to have the strength to face projects and to think more clearly. Now "let the joy of the Lord be my strength."